A vegan food cart in my town just started carrying Beyond Meat and using it in their dishes. I had a chicken sandwich with lettuce, tomatoes, and some cashew based sauces on a nice bun and it was freaking delicious. I think it's remarkably chicken-like, which will freak some people out, but I am not one of those people. I love it and I've psyched about them.

I'm definitely curious about this stuff. I read an article about it in Slate last year, and Mark Bittman's take in the NY Times. Both said the product would easily fool them if they didn't know what it was. I remember a quote from the company's founder in one of the articles. It was about how their strategy is going to be to sell the product in grocery stores next to the meat instead of with the produce or with the tofu, in hopes that "meat" will stop being thought of as "meat"/flesh and just be thought of as protein.

Don't want to start a full fledged debate in your delicious food porn thread, but I don't know about this approach. On the one hand, it sounds appealing...but it feels like it would perpetuate the myth that vegans can only get protein from "fake" meat products (even if this product is made from healthful plant protein, not all such products are, and many aren't exactly healthy). Like protein is a nutrient that only comes from meat or something that is meat like, instead of a nutrient that can be had just as easily from whole, unprocessed plant foods.

I had a few bites (before I found out I was allergic) and BM is really chicken like. My boyfriend really digs it. At WF they had it n a verde sauce which was the best and in a cold salad with grapes - it was good but tasted better warm.

I had it in a burrito a couple days ago, and I thought it was awesome! Your fajitas look great, TuxedoCat!

_________________These shitbirds should pay for their own elections if they aren't going to be obligated by any democratic pretense. - MumblesDon't you know that vegan meat is the gateway drug to chicken addiction? Because GMO and trans-fats. - kaerlighed

Viva's TLC Po'boy by Sister Legumes, on FlickrThis is what I had. I've never grown super fond of tempeh, and I prefer tofu in ricotta form, so having something like this for sandwiches makes me really happy. The place I got it from also has a chicken strip & fries basket with 3 dipping sauces, and is thinking of making some sort of barbeque chicken sandwich with it.

Based on the raves, I'm guessing this is not the stuff WF uses in that awful sweet and sour I tried. Has anyone seen this at any of the VA WF stores?

I had a weird fake chicken that i didn't like at a whole foods in Richmond. It was just plain in the salad bar and I was not into it. I assumed it was Beyond Meat because it was something I'd never had before, but maybe not?

_________________I am not a troll. I am TELLING YOU THE ******GOD'S TRUTH****** AND YOU JUST DON'T WANT THE HEAR IT DO YOU?

I'm definitely curious about this stuff. I read an article about it in Slate last year, and Mark Bittman's take in the NY Times. Both said the product would easily fool them if they didn't know what it was. I remember a quote from the company's founder in one of the articles. It was about how their strategy is going to be to sell the product in grocery stores next to the meat instead of with the produce or with the tofu, in hopes that "meat" will stop being thought of as "meat"/flesh and just be thought of as protein.

Don't want to start a full fledged debate in your delicious food porn thread, but I don't know about this approach. On the one hand, it sounds appealing...but it feels like it would perpetuate the myth that vegans can only get protein from "fake" meat products (even if this product is made from healthful plant protein, not all such products are, and many aren't exactly healthy). Like protein is a nutrient that only comes from meat or something that is meat like, instead of a nutrient that can be had just as easily from whole, unprocessed plant foods.

I definitely hear what you are saying. I do however think this is a good thing, especially for those transitioning to a veg diet or treats for the rest of us now and again. Many of us got into veganism for the animals, and not necessarily for our health. I'm certainly paying more attention to the health benefits and eating a lot more whole foods than I was 10 years ago when I initially made the switch. Whatever gets people off of killing animals and the environment is fine by me. So many claim they cannot give up X food (insert into "X" whatever you likely hear), so this could help. One person I met recently even told me she couldn't imagine giving up chicken and she "dreams" about it. If this gets that gal off chicken, I'm all for it.

ETA: A lot of what we crave or want to eat is really psychological in nature. If people feel like this helps them meet their taste for "chicken" so they don't feel deprived, then I'm okay with it.

Hmm, I think it could be good and sort of promising to sell it next to the other stuff, I mean, I guess if we're trying to remove stigmas from subs, then that is a great place to start. It could be anything from a budget-conscious family trying it because it's cheaper than chicken and liking it, or someone wanting to avoid hormones and antibiotic laden-meats giving it a shot. I imagine both of those are more likely if it's RIGHT there, but it probably would be just one case out of like, 50 or 100, tops.

Now, what I don't like, is that those of us who actually would buy the stuff without question would probably miss it entirely, so I think it needs to be in the produce, too. And no one is going to give the stuff double billing in terms of shelf space. But I imagine the vast number of veggie-oriented people who don't follow the internetz findings on new products would miss this entirely. And to be honest, I'm not sure I would be checking the meat cases on a regular basis to see if it is in stock...and I'm not sure if, at this point, I would probably be grossed out by picking up stuff out of the meat section. Pickles are bad enough surrounded by sandwich meat, but at least they don't look the same. Ick.

See, it drives me nuts that I have to go to one part of my store for daiya, another section if I need earth balance, and neither of them are anywhere near the section where actual cheese and butter are. Veganaise should be with the rest of the mayo and dressings, dammit!

I'm just leery of the whole concept of using "meat" as a blanket term for "protein" and products like this making it seem as though meat is the only "natural" source of protein and vegans have to rely on analog products like this.

From the standpoint of reducing meat consumption by the whole population, it's probably much more on the plus side for the animals than on the con.

I'm just leery of the whole concept of using "meat" as a blanket term for "protein" and products like this making it seem as though meat is the only "natural" source of protein and vegans have to rely on analog products like this.

From the standpoint of reducing meat consumption by the whole population, it's probably much more on the plus side for the animals than on the con.

We had this thread when it was first coming out. I love Beyond Meat and can't wait until they release their retail version this year. Right now I can only buy it in dishes that WF is making in their prepared foods section. But they keep making a vegetarian buffalo chicken salad out of it that isn't vegan.